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2025 Hyper Outbreak
NOTE: This article is undergoing active construction. The 2025 Hyper Outbreak was the largest, longest-lasting, and most destructive tornado outbreak in recorded history. Lasting for over 81 days, it produced a record-breaking 1,864 tornadoes including an EF8, the most powerful ever observed, which touched down in the early evening of July 4. The storm also produced four EF7, 13 EF6, and 41 EF5 tornadoes. Overall, the storm system impacted roughly one-third of the continent of North America, and affected 29 states, as well as the Canadian provinces of Manitoba, Ontario, and Quebec. The system resulted in 1,411 fatalities, plus an additional 93 non-tornadic fatalities, and resulted in $1.57 trillion USD (1,13 trillion 2014 USD), making it the costliest natural disaster in human history. Meteorological synopsis First days In the mid-afternoon of April 14, 2025, a low-pressure system was recorded moving north from the Gulf of Mexico. The system stalled over northern Oklahoma where it quickly developed into a supercell upon meeting cooler, drier winds from the west. Two brief EF0 tornadoes were observed near Alva at 2:35 PM and 2:41 PM CDT but caused no damage. A slightly larger tornado touched down on the outskirts of Enid at 3:06 PM CDT and swept across a small office building, blowing out several windows and tearing shingles from the roof; it would later be rated EF1. A third EF0, which douched down at 3:13 injured two motorists outside of Blackwell and was quickly followed by three other short-lived EF0 tornadoes which caused damage to the roofing of local buildings.At 3:21 PM, a second EF1 touched down in Perry, Oklahoma and pushed two moving automobiles off of a highway, killing one driver and critically injuring the other. Four other local residents were seriously injured and roughly a dozen mildly injured before the tornado dissipated at 3:32 PM. Roughly 18 more EF0 and EF1 tornadoes were observed across northern Oklahoma in the succeeding hours, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. At 5:33 PM, a large "rope" tornado touched down in a rural area north of Fairview and tore the roofing from a barn, killing several livestock and earning it a rating of EF2. No human injuries or fatalities were reported. By the evening of April 14, storm chasers began setting out to record and track the storm system. Ponca City was struck by two tornadoes which touched down at 7:11 PM and 7:14 PM; these would be rated EF2 and EF1, respectively. The EF2 resulted in three fatalities and 17 injuries; the EF1 did not cause any fatalities but was responsible for at least 9 injuries. The EF1 dissipated at 7:20 PM; the EF2 at 7:24 PM. Overnight several more EF0 tornadoes were reported, five of which were confirmed. Notable tornadoes Dallas-Arlington, Texas Canton, Oklahoma Springfield, Missouri Winnipeg-Selkirk, Manitoba Newman, Illinois Between May 19 and May 22, a brief "tornado flare" occurred in the states of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Nebraska, during which tornadic activity increased beyond the average for the outbreak. The most significant single tornado to occur during this flare was an EF6-rated tornado which touched down north of Newman, Illinois at 12:31 PM CDT on May 20. as a strong cone tornado. Moving on a stable track due west, the tornado grazed past the north of the city, tearing a large warehouse from its foundation and demolishing it in midair, as well as obliterating roughly 180 residences in the surrounding region. As the tornado continued on its westward track, it tore a 200-meter (656 foot) high radio tower from the ground and carried it for approximately four miles (6.4 kilometers), earning it its rating of EF6 on the recently expanded Enhanced Fujita scale. The tornado abruptly shifted to the south at 1:57 PM CDT; around which time extreme winds of roughly 288 miles per hour (463 kilometers per hour) were recorded near ground level, with a momentary gust of 312 mph (502 kph) recorded at an elevation of 1,000 feet (304 meters). On its south-bound track, the tornado demolished several barns and threw several tractors and a combine harvester in excess of 600 feet (182 meters). At 2:07 PM CDT the tornado weakened to low-end EF4 strength and stalled upon reaching a comparatively drier air mass. The tornado remained stationary for nearly thirty minutes before dissipating at 2:35 PM CDT. The tornado's path was 41 miles (65 kilometers) long and involved significant scouring of earth, which, coupled with the demolition of a well-built warehouse and uprooting of a radio tower led to the tornado being rated EF6. The tornado was responsible for 23 fatalities and 171 injuries. Lincoln, Nebraska This extremely violent and long-tracked tornado touched down over an open field as a large "elephant trunk" tornado at 6:37 PM CDT on April 27. It inflicted EF4-level damage on three barns as it moved on an eastward track and temporarily narrowed to a ropelike funnel as it skirted the edge of Seward, inflicting EF3-level damage as it demolished several residences. The tornado soon re-intensified and began to shift southeast, becoming a strong stovepipe tornado with a maximum width of 0.87 miles. As it entered the city of Lincoln at 7:10 PM CDT, winds of 268 to 272 miles per hour were recorded. The tornado tore residences and small office buildings from their foundations and demolished factories, warehouses and supermarkets. A local hospital was partially collapsed and several other high-rise buildings were twisted nearly off their foundations. The tornado continued eastward through Lincoln, leaving the city at 7:32 PM CDT and weakening shortly afterward. At 7:43 PM, the tornado narrowed to an "elephant trunk" shape before dissipating completely. The tornado left a damage path 36 miles (57 kilometers) long during which soil was scoured down to 28 feet (8.53 meters). This significant scouring, coupled with the fragmenting of solidly-built foundations earned it a rating of EF6 on the newly-expanded Enhanced Fujita scale. The tornado was responsible for 49 fatalities and 378 injuries Norman-Moore, Oklahoma A large and unstable multiple-vortex tornado touched down outside of Norman, Oklahoma at 4:36 PM CDT on May 19. As it approached the city it rapidly grew to a width of 1.06 miles, with internal wind speeds of 237 miles per hour, making it a high-end EF5. The tornado destroyed several barns before entering Norman, cutting a path through the eastern side of the city, destroying at least 420 homes and 59 businesses. It entered Moore at 5:11 PM, destroying a factory and several office buildings before dissipating at 5:18 PM. The tornado was overall responsible for 51 fatalities and 236 injuries, making it the eleventh-deadliest tornado of the outbreak. Several storm chasers were injured while filming the tornado, and emergency services faced significant difficulty in navigating the wreckage due to blocked roads and fallen power lines. The city of Norman was left without power for four days following the tornado; this, combined with direct damage and secondary damage due to flooding or hail made the Norman-Moore tornado one of the costliest of the outbreak, despite being far from the most intense. Category:Outbreaks Category:Super Outbreaks Category:Violent Tornadoes Category:Violent Outbreaks Category:F5/EF5 Tornadoes Category:Catastrophic Tornadoes